Full marks WJEC Criminology Unit 1 AC1.5 model notes and answers. This document includes model answers to the AC1.5 question in the Unit 1 exam for criminology, that allowed me to achieve an overall A* in the exam! I hope it helps you do the same :)
AC1.5 EXPLAIN THE IMPACT OF MEDIA REPRESENTATION ON THE PUBLIC
PERCEPTION ON CRIME 6mark
Clear and detailed explanation of the impact of a range of media
representations on the public perception of crime.
(ac1.5) One way in which the media can impact perceptions of crime is through
creating a moral panic. "A moral panic occurs when a condition, episode,
person, or group of people emerge to become defined as a threat to societal
values and interests". This is where a crime is heavily overemphasised to the
public causing them to experience fear and panic, due to feeling as if it will
directly affect them. The concept of the 'folk devil' introduced by Stanley
Cohen, leads into moral panic; in the sense that they go hand in hand. Folk
devil is a term used to categorise a group of people who are portrayed as
deviants, and who often practice behaviour that goes against social norms and
values of society. An example of an event that triggered moral panic is Covid-
19; a global pandemic that immensely effected the public. The Covid-19
pandemic caused moral panic because of the way the media amplified and
presented the situation to the public. Due to this way in which Covid-19 was
brought into the public’s attention, with little to no information known about
the virus, there quickly escalated speculation of remedies, causes, and
symptoms, which were mostly untrue. This fed even more into the moral panic
of the public, even when there was no evidence or explanation towards these
assumptions of 'fact'. This moral panic can also be seen through other forms of
media like traditional journalism and social media. In 2020, just when the virus
began, the vast coverage in traditional journalism and social media panicked
about the risk of catching coronavirus, and the rumours that followed. An
example of a rumour circulating was the belief that Covid-19 was formulated in
China, and that Chinese people were prone to spreading the virus. This rumour
went so far as to result in people of that specific ethnic minority group
receiving verbal and physical abuse; spat on, beat up, and called racial slurs.
This is an example in how substantially media can influence the way the public
perceive and feel about groups of people as well as dominate society’s views
on matters/issues.
CHANGING PUBLIC CONCERNS AND ATTITUDES
(ac1.5) One way in which the media can impact perceptions of crime is through
the changing of public concerns and attitudes. Public concern is defined to be
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